PeopleAdmin announced last month that Jack Blaha will serve as its new Chief Executive Officer and former CEO Kermit Randa will continue on PeopleAdmin’s Board of Directors.

“It’s exciting to be part of an organization that is committed to improving K-20 education, and I am looking forward to doing everything I can to help further that mission,” Jack said.

Jack has spent his career delivering industry-leading technology to customers, most recently serving as Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of Aptean. He began his career as an officer in the United States Army after graduating from United States Military Academy at West Point.

“Jack has the passion and experience to help take our company through its next phase of growth,” Kermit said. “He understands the needs of our customers and is excited to continue PeopleAdmin’s mission of delivering market-leading solutions that help customers hire great people and improve student outcomes.”

Under Jack’s leadership, PeopleAdmin will continue to provide an amazing customer experience and deliver industry-leading solutions as the only talent management company to serve the entire K-20 community.

How to use the data and insights in PeopleAdmin’s TalentIndex to advance your strategic initiatives

Talent management professionals at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee (UWM) are successfully using the TalentIndex — a report on higher education growth, trends and challenges — to both develop and gain buy-in for strategic initiatives.

“I’ve been using the TalentIndex to help explain that, even though we’re in a difficult budgetary time, an investment in employee development is going to be really important to us,” said Tim Danielson, associate vice chancellor & director of HR at the UWM.

TalentIndex provided the data and insights Tim needed to identify professional development opportunities and to demonstrate how improvements can benefit his institution.

“There are fewer people applying for positions in higher education, as evidenced in the TalentIndex,” Tim explained. The report shows that overall applicant volume declined by 6 percent from 2014 to 2015. “To retain the talent that we have and enhance their skills at the same time, I’ve been stressing employee development.”

With the data to back him up, Tim says leaders at UWM are taking his suggestions seriously.

“They’re starting to understand that applicant pools aren’t going to all the sudden take off again, in terms of their size, so we need to do all we can to keep employees’ interest,” Tim said. “We’re actually starting to implement some additional development opportunities for employees, mostly around leadership, then we’ll work on building career growth paths.”

Download the TalentIndex to get the data and insights you need to both develop and gain buy-in for your strategic initiatives.

Insights and data from hundreds of higher education professionals is great, but the TalentIndex also offers resources to help put that information to good use…

“We’re still really creating an understanding across the institution of what good HR looks like, and an awareness of the value that HR can bring to the mission of the institution,” said Tim Danielson, associate vice chancellor & director of HR at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. “Where I see using information like the TalentIndex is in conversation, and in sit-down sharing with division heads, deans, select leaders of our shared governance groups, to help them develop a deeper understanding of the value of HR and how much we really can help the institution.”

With expert advice in the form of podcasts and simplified reports, it’s now easier than ever to make the most out of information in the Higher Education TalentIndex.

5 reasons to attend your 2017 PeopleConnect

‘I learn so much at the user conference from other attendees and from PeopleAdmin employees’

Taking time away from your office is never easy … But, as many of your peers agree, spending three days in Austin, Texas, at PeopleConnect 2017 is well worth your time, and brings benefits to your institution in numerous ways.

“PeopleConnect is very valuable,” said Stefan Stoyanof, business systems analyst at South Texas College. “Even as a SelectSuite Certified Administrator, I learn so much at the user conference — from other attendees and from PeopleAdmin employees.”

Here are five great reasons to attend this year’s conference:

Empower possibilities in higher education talent management like never before … by networking with hundreds of peers, learning about higher education’s unique talent management challenges, and more.

Get advice on legislative changes from higher education experts, including tips on using your PeopleAdmin solution to drive improvements in your organization.

See what’s ahead in the new era of data-driven, research-based talent management, including tools and strategies to help you make data-based decisions.

Get tips from experts on engaging your most change-resistant colleagues to use their applicant tracking solution, improve processes and prepare for the future.

Take advantage of the lowest price of the year by registering now. Advanced early bird registrants will save $150 through Dec. 31, and returning PeopleConnect attendees can save even more … contact marketingevents@peopleadmin.com for details.

New research shows benefits of upgrading to SelectSuite 7

‘For each benefit in the analysis, we include customer-validated research data points, as well as testimonials’

A new report is making it easier for talent management professionals to demonstrate the value of an upgrade to SelectSuite 7.

Until now, many PeopleAdmin 5.8 users struggled to secure the resources necessary for an upgrade to SelectSuite 7 without an accurate estimate of the return on investment (ROI).

“I spent five years pushing for this upgrade,” said LynnAnn Brewer, employment manager at Texas State University in San Marcos. She was eventually able to secure the funding she needed, but it wasn’t easy. “I competed against several other important initiatives.”

Third-party research organization Hobson & Company completed a complex analysis of the specific benefits colleges and universities can expect by upgrading to SelectSuite. It outlines how upgrading can increase productivity by 64 percent and reduce talent management costs by 36 percent — generating a positive ROI in 1.3 months.

“For each benefit in the analysis, we include customer-validated research data points, as well as testimonials that help support why that benefit was included,” said Erika Blacutt, partner at Hobson & Company. Prior to publishing results, Erika and her team shared their analysis with customers to ensure accuracy of findings. “I asked them: ‘How does this analysis feel to you?’ ‘Is there anything that doesn’t feel reasonable?’ We use that as a validation step to make sure the ROI analysis that we’ve built resonates and that there’s confidence in the analysis.”

View and share Hobson & Company’s customer-validated research by downloading Increasing talent management’s return on investment: A study of how upgrading from PeopleAdmin 5.8 to SelectSuite 7 saved higher education institutions time and money.

Former associate director of human resources at Gonzaga University offers advice

Heather Murray, customer advancement executive at PeopleAdmin

On Nov. 22, Judge Amos Louis Mazzart III issued a preliminary injunction delaying the implementation of the updated Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which would have taken effect on Dec. 1, 2016.

So, what should colleges and universities do now?

“Stay the course,” advised Heather Murray, customer advancement executive at PeopleAdmin and former associate director of human resources at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington.

Her advice is based in part on the fact that no one can say for sure what will happen to FLSA from here. “It’s better to be safe than sorry,” Heather explained. “Will this truly affect the ruling, does it just kick the can down the road, or does it mean further revisions are to come?”

In any case, she added, you can be sure your staff is watching. “Employees that would have been affected by the updated regulations are going to pay just as much attention to how this unfolds as HR practitioners.”

And employees aren’t just interested in how lawmakers respond … they’re interested in how you respond.

“Many employees whose positions were going to retain the exempt classification may have been expecting a substantial raise right before the holiday,” Heather said. “If you decide not to continue with that pay increase, you may be setting yourself up for a morale issue. Additionally, those employees who were preparing to move to nonexempt classification and are now on hold may begin to question the validity of the FLSA determination, creating another morale issue and the potential for a wage and hour claim. ”

No matter how you decide to move forward, however, Heather believes communication is critical.

“Don’t let your communication drop off just because we’re now on hold,” she said. “Continue to communicate to your campus, providing education on what the preliminary injunction means to your community, and explain the why behind your institution’s decision as we all navigate this ambiguous period.”

Also, remember that action and inaction both send a message to employees. “Evaluate your intent against the potential impact. Before you do anything, stop and think about what you’re saying to your employees about their value.”

Request a demo to learn how PeopleAdmin solutions can help your college or university keep up with changing regulations.

Introducing Fast Pass — a better way to get the support you need

Getting in touch with a support rep shouldn’t require you to wait on hold. Now — thanks to Fast Pass — it never will.

“Fast Pass allows customers waiting in a call queue to end their call, while still holding their place in line, by simply pressing zero,” said Chris Rinella, support team manager at PeopleAdmin. “The caller’s assigned agent can then call the customer back when their position in the queue is reached.”

This improvement to the support call process is the latest example of PeopleAdmin’s emphasis on offering world-class service, in addition to industry-leading talent management solutions.

“We implemented Fast Pass to show our commitment to delivering an amazing customer experience,” Chris said. “This enhancement streamlines the process of reaching the support team via phone and allows us to serve customers as quickly and efficiently as possible.”

Are you ready for peak hiring season?

Prepare with PeopleAdmin’s solution training

Do you have a new system admin that needs to learn how to effectively use SelectSuite®? Has it been over a year since your hiring manager signed into the solution, and you want to make sure he or she is prepared? Have you updated your processes and need to ensure they’re appropriately captured in your solution?

PeopleAdmin’s solution training is designed to help you successfully overcome these challenges and more.

“I now have the confidence and system expertise to effectively consult our various university units with their unique challenges,” said Jason Killmeyer, project & data manager at the University of Pittsburg. “This new understanding provides me with the opportunity to take full advantage of new system updates, enhancements and opportunities to improve and streamline our processes.”

With new training packages coming in 2017, it’s easier than ever to be successful for years to come. New packages are designed to ensure:

Greater flexibility: Get the exact training you need, at the exact time you need it. Whether you need to train a brand-new system administrator in the middle of the year or you need to certify 80 new hiring managers, we’ve got you covered.

Easier access: With a simple request process and the ability to pay up front, you can easily access the training you need … without scrambling for budget approval.

Advancing the higher education ecosystem is a challenge faced by administrators and educators all over the world. Higher education institutions today are responsible for many critical outcomes. In addition to student success, there is a renewed focus on the recruitment and retention of faculty, as well as the setup and administration of organizational systems powering human capital management.
These pressures in higher education create dysfunctional systems and processes causing a mission gap and lack of alignment among teams, leadership, and the overall institution.